VIVA HUCKABEE!:  —  Here's when I realized Mike Huckabee might be on the verge of something: Shortly after 1 o'clock, Laura Ingraham, our intrepid emcee, introduced each of the straw poll candidates.  Because Romney was speaking immediately after the introductions, and because he'd clearly bused …

Hidden Earmarks A Hallmark Of The 110th  —  When Democrats campaigned in the 2006 midterm elections, they promised to reform the pork-barrel practices of previous Congresses once they took control.  They have certainly changed the process, but not in the manner they promised.

Video: Footage of terrorist killed in Old City released  —  A copy of CCTV footage from the scene of Friday's shooting in Jerusalem's Old City shows the Israeli Arab assailant snatching the pistol of an Israeli security guard and shooting him repeatedly at close range.  —  Double click below to watch video

The LAT had an interesting item today, speculating about whether presidential candidate Fred Thompson will follow Senate candidate Thompson's style, and campaign in his favorite prop. … As the piece explained, Thompson hopped in an old red pickup and won voters over with his folksy charm, accentuated by the prop.

The truth behind the Pollack-O'Hanlon trip to Iraq  —  Last Wednesday, I interviewed Michael O'Hanlon of the Brookings Institution regarding the trip he recently took to Iraq and the highly publicized Op-Ed in the New York Times about his trip, co-written with his Brookings colleague, Ken Pollack.

US doles out millions for street cameras  —  Local efforts raise privacy alarms  —  WASHINGTON — The Department of Homeland Security is funneling millions of dollars to local governments nationwide for purchasing high-tech video camera networks, accelerating the rise of a "surveillance society" …

Iraqi Sunni claims 'genocide campaign'  —  BAGHDAD - Iraq's most senior Sunni politician issued a desperate appeal Sunday for Arab nations to help stop what he called an "unprecedented genocide campaign" by Shiite militias armed, trained and controlled by Iran.

Fred, Fred, Fred: Thompson's Challenge Has a Name  —  In the swampy soup of hopefuls for the 2008 presidential election, there is a man with a funny name.  (No, not that one.)  —  We're thinking of the one named Fred (Thompson).  —  Say it out loud.  Do it.  Fred.  Fred.  In the South, Fray-ud.

Rift in AK Parti over Gül?  —  This year, elections were held early in Turkey because the AK Parti wanted to make Abdullah Gül president.  Certain secular parties, especially the CHP (founded by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk), opposed this idea very strongly - they do not want an Islamist …

MTP: Markos Discusses the Emergence of the Netroots Movement  —  DailyKos Founder Markos Moulitsas Zuniga explains to guest host David Gregory on Meet The Press why the netroots movement signals the end of "business as usual" politicking for the Democratic party.

'Bourne' flick is ultimately un-American  —  When "The Simpsons Movie" turns out to be more realistic than "The Bourne Ultimatum," you know something is up.  Nevertheless, the thriller is a big hit, proving once again that film audiences now want live-action cartoons rather than crisp …

Greenhouse Simplicities  —  We in the news business often enlist in moral crusades.  Global warming is among the latest.  Unfortunately, self-righteous indignation can undermine good journalism.  Last week's NEWSWEEK cover story on global warming is a sobering reminder.

Leering Chris Matthews Asks Female CNBC Anchor to Move in Closer to Camera  —  Apparently Hardball host Chris Matthews has a bit of a problem keeping his lust in check on the air.  On Friday evening's Hardball, Matthews was interviewing CNBC's Street Signs anchor, Erin Burnett …

Italy probe unearths huge Iraq arms deal  —  PERUGIA, Italy - In a hidden corner of Rome's busy Fiumicino Airport, police dug quietly through a traveler's checked baggage, looking for smuggled drugs.  What they found instead was a catalog of weapons, a clue to something bigger.

The Dangers of 'Peace' Making  —  America's latest efforts merely entrenched al Qaeda in the Gaza Strip.  —  The U.S. and other Western powers are pushing for a new Israeli-Palestinian breakthrough, to help contain Iran and undercut the appeal of al Qaeda and radical Islam.